The Sun
by SeekForMySoul
Summary: Oneshot. After all what was a village without its sun?


Prompt: Sun

Rating: T

The boy (no, the man, for he has truly grown from the snot faced child into a man of miracles) walks to the overhanging of the Hokage's tower with so much pent up energy, the people around could practically feel it leaping off of him. He looks so happy, the grin stretching from ear to ear as he vibrates from excitement. The cheers and screams of the audience burns Naruto up and Kakashi can tell when he forces himself to focuses his pure concentrate of energy on the papers in his trembling hands, preparing to give his speech. All Kakashi can do is watch; pride for his past student encased around him.

Looking at Naruto now, you'd be surprise to find that a few years back he was the village piranha.

Back then the townspeople were focused in on the kyuubi, (the horrors of that night still fresh in most civilian's minds as well as quite a few ninjas) so that tunnel vision became an epidemic, and small undernourished golden haired boys were the scapegoat to everyday problems. But now it's different. Now, to most of the townspeople he is the center of Konohagakure; they gravitate towards him.

That small boy turned into a hero of the village, and the same people who would spit on the ground he walked, now cheer at the sound of his name.

It is hypocrisy, Kakashi knows. Plain hypocrisy of the two faced people in the village but he also knows better than to say a word. After all, Naruto loves the village more than the ramen he eats for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He, himself loves the village (he had to didn't he? He went on so many godforsaken ANBU missions that he sometimes wonders why he still alive) but some days he wonders at the villagers ignorance of the pain they caused Naruto.

Because Kakashi still has the faded memory of tear filled eyes of blond child, from the stinging words of passing strangers. He can remember a face of an angel including cuts and bruises of the more violent of villagers.

Kakashi is slightly disbelieving as to how the villagers have no shame of cheering for his induction, when not even seven years earlier they would be cheering for his death.

But today is not the occasion for introspective thoughts. Today is a day for happiness and laughter as Naruto fulfills his dream (and he wonders at how out of all his students, Naruto's most outlandish dream becomes a reality- one became a shell of a human and the other a shell of a monster) and steps up to become the Roukadaime. Tsunade is next to him sniffing slightly, but Kakashi knows better than to mention it in fear for certain parts of his body. He has grown wiser too, along with Naruto.

Nostalgia is his main companion as he listens to the speech of his new Hokage, and he remembers a day long ago when another golden hair man speaking of peace stood on that same podium. For a moment when the sun shown down at just the right angle, the vision overlaps with Naruto, and a breathing, talking Minato stands before him. It takes his breath away, and he can tell from the shocked gasps from people in the crowd, that they see it too.

But he should know better than that, for he remembers seeing Minato within Naruto back when he was a child. Back when a lonely child made a promise to be a hero, and saved a village. He saw Minato when the child released two suffering souls from the prison of their own making. Kakashi saw Minato everyday within Naruto, but knew not to confuse them.

Because Minato would not be as forgiving as Naruto. The Yellow-Flash would not be as kind as Naruto, for Naruto took the best of both his parents. Kakashi breathes deeply to get past the tightness in his chest and the burning in his eyes. Naruto has both Minato and Kushina in him, but he is also just Naruto. The boy who ate ramen like a starving man, the man who defended Konaha with the last of his breath and more.

The man who held the power of a tailed beast at his finger tips, the man who could talk reason into a psychopath.

The power that he wields so easily (so much like his father, but so different at the time) fits him like a glove, and even with all the heartache he has suffered, Naruto still smiles like the sun, a brilliant golden yellow that brightens the day.

And after all, what was a village without its sun?


End file.
